Cases for portable electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets have been known to include collapsible or removable stand elements that allow an encased device to be placed substantially upright on a flat surface, such as a tabletop or counter, thus allowing the screen of the device to be more easily viewed without being held upright by a user. It is desirable that such stand elements are easily collapsed or stowed when not in use and easily actuated when desired. The object of the present technology is to activate and deactivate the stand elements using a small amount of force and effort.